Spying Through The Trees
by AvengersIsLife
Summary: He's watching her, and she knows it. Short little Clintasha story.


She didn't see his dark shadow peering at her from behind the tree. He watched as she pulled the small puppy outside by the collar. She tossed it carefully but sternly onto the parched, brittle grass, where it began to sniff around, looking for a place to relieve itself. A much older dog trotted out, sniffed the woman who was observing to puppy, then stretched out and laid down.

The wind was in the man's favor, and he was standing completely still, so the dog did not notice him only ten meters away. He smiled slyly as the woman gave into the whining puppy's request. She pulled the damp, furry green tennis ball out of the slobbering puppy's mouth, then threw it with all of her strength. The ball came whizzing past the man, both of the dogs sprinting eagerly behind.

The woods were thick, so the dogs and the man were blocked from the view of the woman. Both dogs immediately stopped and turned to the man, growling and barking. He stuck out his hand, and the oldest dog approached and sniffed him, while the puppy scurried back to the woman. She picked up the squirming creature, then scowled into the gloomy forest. "Penny!" she called, taking a step towards the dark wall of trees. The dog took one last sniff at the man, then skipped back to the woman. She released the eccentric puppy who rushed to the older dog named Penny. The two jumped and ran back to the door.

The woman walked to the edge of the woods, and stared intently into the mist. The man held his breath, only releasing it as she shrugged, then turned to the house, her deep red hair flowing out behind her as a gust of wind blew around her. He grinned as he saw her smile as she closed the door, but didn't lock it.

Laughing quietly, he gathered his gear, then sat down under a tree, waiting for the cover of night to move in. He sighed; even after all of these years of being partners, he still couldn't surprise Natasha Romanoff.

* * *

The stars were twinkling merrily as he slipped from his cover of the woods, sneaking stealthily to the house where the door was still unlocked. As he slid the door open, the dogs whined, now contained in two large kennels. The puppy scratched and bit the lock, so he grabbed a couple of treats from the container nearby, and shoved them into the kennels.

He crept down the hall, straining every muscle to be as quiet as he physically could. There were several doors opening off of the hallway, but he headed straight for the closed door at the end. A faint light shone from underneath the door, but it wasn't bright enough to make him stop his advancement. He turned the handle, slowly pushing it open, praying it didn't make a sound.

It took most of his effort to keep quiet though, when he saw her asleep peacefully on the futon. She had extended it all the way, and her tiny frame lay comfortably on the stiff mattress. He wanted to laugh aloud, but he stuffed his fist in his mouth to keep quiet. Her scarlet hair was spewed across the white pillow, making the pillow look as if it were bleeding. She was turned on her side, curled up in a ball, facing away from him. Her breathing was even, letting him know she was fast asleep.

He shivered, finally realizing how cold the temperature had gotten. His eyebrows raised as he saw that she only wore a tang top and shorts, covered by a thin white sheet. Though he was freezing himself, he pulled off his jacket and placed it over her. He looked around, but couldn't find any extra blankets. A closet stood open towards the back of the room, and he searched through it. He found several comforters, and he took them all and spread them out of top of her. Somehow, she didn't wake up, but instead, buried deeper into the warmth of the new layers.

He sat down and untied his boots, then pulled of his shirt that was stained with blood. He had washed in a creek nearby, but that hadn't gotten rid of the metallic smell still clinging to it. His pale skin shone, and he glanced around, looking for the source of light. A tiny nightlight was plugged in the corner. It was a simple blue light bulb, that cast a dim light around the room.

She moved suddenly, pulling her arms out from under the blankets so that she could stretch. She made a small noise as she arched her back, then laid back down, this time on her stomach. He smiled, then crawled underneath the covers as well, scooting closer to her to absorb her heat. He felt her tense up as she finally recognized his presence, but relax as she realized who it was. She turned around, back on her side, this time facing her partner. Her emerald eyes alit with glee as she confirmed it was him.

"You're late, Barton." He smiled. "Got held up; target thought it would be funny to run. His mistake. Nice dogs by the way." "Pepper and Tony had to leave; I got caught with pet sitting." She wrapped her arms around him and sighed, inhaling the scent that clung to him of the outdoors. "Goodnight Natasha," he mumbled into her hair. "Goodnight Clint."


End file.
